Basketball Game Preview: New Bern Christian Academy vs. Trinity Christian Tigers

New Bern Christian Academy will head out on the road to take on the Trinity Christian Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Last Tuesday, New Bern Christian Academy came up short against Gramercy Christian and fell 54-44. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as New Bern Christian Academy came into the matchup with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 116th, while Gramercy Christian is ranked 263rd).

Meanwhile, Trinity Christian entered their tilt with Community Christian on Tuesday with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. They put the hurt on the Cyclones with a sharp 53-32 win. The Tigers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 11 contests by 20 points or more this season.

Trinity Christian's win came from a few key players New Bern Christian Academy will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Riley Burnham, who went 5 of 9 en route to 12 points and six steals. She is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last 11 games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Macey Skinner, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Trinity Christian smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in eight consecutive games.

Trinity Christian's victory was their 14th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 21-4. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.1 points per game. As for New Bern Christian Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 16-5.

New Bern Christian Academy came up short against Trinity Christian in their previous meeting two weeks ago, falling 56-51. Can New Bern Christian Academy avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.